1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for reprocessing a nuclear reactor fuel rod which contains nuclear fuel in a cladding tube, by removing the cladding tube from the nuclear fuel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
British Pat. No. 1,097,597 discloses such a method. The nuclear reactor fuel rod to be reprocessed according to the method of the British Patent has a cladding tube of a magnesium alloy, in which is contained a uranium metal body as the nuclear fuel. The cladding tube is heated up on a shredder by electric high-frequency current, is expanded and softened thereby and is finally shaved off from the uranium metal body by shredder cylinders. The fuel rod is located in the shredder with the cylinder surface of its cladding tube between two shredder cylinders parallel to the axis. The shredder cylinders have cutting teeth on their outside surface and are guided along the longitudinal axis of the fuel rod which rotates about this longitudinal axis. After the cladding tube has been removed in the shredder, the uranium metal body is further processed chemically.
In the process, cladding tube material cannot be precluded but is also fed to the further chemical treatment together with the uranium metal body, specially because irradiated fuel rods are deformed irregularly. Also nuclear fuel sticks to the chips which are produced when shaving off the cladding tube. The chips can be separated from the nuclear fuel only at great expense.